How Baby Got Her Name
by ValaMalDoran-Jackson
Summary: This came about at 3 this morning, and I couldn't figure out if I wanted to publish it or not, but ultimately decided to. Hope you like! Reviews are candy


She sat alone on their bed, one long leg curled up underneath her, the other hanging half off the edge of the mattress, her head turned to the side, staring intently at the magazine lying before her on the sheets, black hair pulled away from her face and cascading over her neck and back, several strands falling to rest against the hand she had propped her chin up with.

Daniel caught his breath at the sight. After Sha're, he had felt dead. Numb inside. Nothing mattered to him, nothing at all. Oh, yes, he pretended to laugh, pretended to enjoy the things that had once mattered to him. All an act. Even his closest friend hadn't known the depths of pain that had shattered the once full of life person into someone that merely existed. Day after day, mission after mission.

Until her.

Vala.

Moving forward, Daniel broke her concentration and she bounded up off the bed to leap into his arms. Sha're had never imposed herself on him. Never invaded his space unless he was already with her, and even then her gentleness kept her from overwhelming him with her needs. He had loved that about her, loved the smiles she had thrown his way when he looked at her.

Vala was different. If she wasn't in his breathing space, her world ended.

She needed him with an intensity that took his breath away, and had prompted Jack O'Neill several times to mutter under his breath about their "hot monkey love make-out sessions".

Vala wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, letting him bear the full brunt of her weight as she hugged him tightly. He needed her, like he needed air. Her playfulness and exuberance had done wonders to his shattered heart, and in a tiny, selfish, corner of his soul he felt happy that he had found someone so unlike his Sha're. Pulling back from her hug, Vala smiled down at him, her eyes alight with joy.

"I found it." she told him excitedly, grin widening. "It's perfect, really. I hope you'll like it, It took me hours, and then I turned on the TV and there it was! Oh, Daniel, you'll never guess it, and you wanted it to be unique, so I know you'll like it!" She continued.

"Okay, let's hear it. Better yet, sight unseen, I'll agree to it." Daniel smiled back, caught up in her exuberance.

"Peanut. You already agreed to it, you said you would, and you can't take that back. I want to name the baby Peanut. We can give her a middle name that you want, since I'm getting what I want here, I suppose I can afford to be generous, since, well let's face it, you did help out with conceiving her. And now that she's here, and we have less than a week to decide on her birth certificate thingie before Jack chooses the name for us, Daniel, I really want-" Her words were tumbling out faster and faster as he watched her, out of sheer desperation Daniel slipped her down from him and pulled her into a mind-blowing, toe-curling, bone-melting, spasm-inducing kiss that silenced Vala mid-sentence. They broke for air, Vala silent in submission at his touch.

"I love it." He breathed against her lips, then gently kissed her again. "Peanut Butter Jackson." he continued. Vala drew away, her eyes suddenly worried.

"You're not naming my daughter that. I know I told you that you could give her the middle name, but can you imagine life in school with a name like that? She'll be teased horribly, and then she'll cry, and I can't kill the little animals for hurting my baby. You can't name her Butter." She ordered firmly.

"I was teasing you, Vala. I would never do that to her either. I had actually thought of another name for her. How does 'Peanut Tenandu Jackson' sound? It's Chinese, meaning 'Life-Giver'. I thought it appropriate, given the circumstances of her birth. You know, Lam saying that she was keeping you alive as much as you were keeping her alive." He asked.

"I like it. And, seeing what I went through to push her out of me, I think it's appropriate as well. Let's just hope that she takes after you, more than me. You know, sticky fingers and all. And the manipulative things I do, all the horrible ways I used to live-" Daniel cut her off with another kiss, pulling her tight against him before releasing her once more.

"Had you grown up any differently, I would never have met you. We would never have fallen in love and had this beautiful little girl that is as much a miracle as any child has ever been. I would be a bitter, resentful, person that grows old and dies with no family and only those that can stand his acid tongue at the funeral. That would be all of two people: Jack and Teal'c. Sam would long gone if it weren't for you. Believe me when I tell you that I love you, faults and all. In fact, I think it's what I love most about you. They're what brought me to you. That, and the fact that you look absolutely fabulous in sexy camouflage lingerie. Who knew Victoria's Secret could make something for military wives?" He asked with a teasing grin. "What I'd really like to know, coming full circle to our miracle baby girl again, is how did you find her name on TV?"

"It was one of those wonderful programs, a bubble opera?"

"Soap opera, I'm listening,"

"Well, Jessica had a baby named Grape, and she mentioned that someone named Gwyneth had a baby named Apple, and right as they said that, I was thinking of peanuts because I was craving them, and that's when I realized that if Jessica Buchanan can name her baby Grape, and Gwyneth can name her baby Apple, and someone else can name their children Dweezil and Moonunit, and yet someone else can call their baby Pilot Inspektor, then I should be able to name my child Peanut. And so, ever since then, I've called her Peanut. I can't change it now, she's used to it." Vala explained quickly.

"Peanut's barely a week old, I think she could handle it." Daniel teased gently.

"You used it! You said it in a sentence without even thinking about it, you have to like it, which means that we can keep her name!" Vala laughed happily, throwing her arms around Daniel again and squeezing him.

The object of their discussion, a tiny thing with a mop of black hair sighed gently as she opened her eyes and looked around at her crib. Spying the shape that meant comfort to her undeveloped mind, she whimpered to let it know she was awake. Instantly, the shape that cuddled her and whispered nonsense while feeding her came to lift her out of the crib. The other shape followed, and Peanut recognized it as the one that smelled good, of things old and worn with age. It hadn't been there for several hours, to do that thing the other shape called 'reading the baby to sleep' and honestly, she just wanted that again! Her whimper turned into a full blown cry as the two shapes hovered around and over her, suddenly worried. Finally, Comfort Shape handed her to Reading-The-Baby-To-Sleep Shape, and the scent washed over her. Oh, this was heaven! Now, if only he could feed her like Comfort Shape. Everything would be perfect.

"I think she might be hungry, she's trying to chew a hole through my shirt." Daniel chuckled, giving the baby back to Vala. Instantly, Peanut's tiny body went stiff and she let out a scream of rage at the transfer. Kicking her feet wildly, she felt Comfort Shape tense up again. Why did Comfort Shape do that? Was it painful for her?

Daniel took the baby back, and she quieted seconds later, her nose buried against him.

"I've got an idea." He suddenly grinned. Guiding Vala to the loveseat in his office, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, then gently settled her against him. "Comfortable?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. She nodded, wondering what was on his mind. Daniel lifted Peanut into Vala's arm, his own larger hand splayed against Peanut's chest as Vala began to feed their daughter. Peanut nursed hungrily, happy to have bent them to her will. Her needs were simple, she wanted food, and her favorite shape and smell near her. Was that too much to ask?

Vala turned her head to Daniel when he brushed her hair away from her neck, out of his way. "I love you." he whispered, so soft she almost missed it.

"I love you more." she replied, smiling up at him.

"I love you the most." he teased, then gently stroked his daughter's hair.

Peanut slowly relaxed as the tension left Comfort Shape. With her belly filling and the two shapes around her, she was happy.

They all were.


End file.
